Meth trafficking lands man in jail for two years
By Jeremy Appel on November 2, 2018.
jappel@medicinehatnews.com @MHNJeremyAppel A man who pled guilty to trafficking methamphetamine and hydromorphone pills has been sentenced to two years in jail after a joint submission by the Crown and defence. Samuel Whitford, 28, appeared in Medicine Hat Provincial Court on Thursday as a prisoner, represented by defence lawyer Bradley Bellmore. Whitford had a Gladue report prepared for him, which outlined his history of poverty, self-harm and addiction. His grandmother was a residential school survivor, which contributed to the loss of his aboriginal culture and identity, as well as intergenerational trauma. “He’s experienced multiple ranges of abuse (and) racism,” Bellmore said. In late August 2017, the Medicine Hat Police Service received two confidential sources, who identified the accused as a meth dealer, providing them with his phone number, the agreed statement of facts said. On Sept. 1, an undercover officer arranged to purchase meth from Whitford, who he immediately recognized. The officer purchased the rest of his supply, with Whitford telling him he was going to Calgary to get more. Later that month, the officer arranged to purchase 9.8 grams of meth and two hydrocodone pills. In October, police contacted the same number to purchase $600 worth of meth. In total, cops seized $3,815 in meth. The Crown said that although they would normally request three years imprisonment, given the “escalating quantity” of drugs sold, the Gladue report was a mitigating factor. Whitford’s mother Sandra was in attendance to show her support, he added. The accused has a prior criminal record, which is entirely composed of property crimes, which Bellmore said is a result of his poverty. 16
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